The Dodgers continued their pattern of drafting college players in the first round Wednesday when they selected Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller with the 29th overall pick.
Miller was the second Louisville pitcher chosen; the Angels took Louisville left-hander Reid Detmers with the 10th pick.
Miller, who turned 21 in April, boasts an explosive arsenal centered around a fastball that sits between 96 and 98 mph. He complements the fastball with a hard slider that touches 90 mph and a changeup that requires further development.
Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the Major League Baseball winter meetings Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The 6-foot-5 Miller posted a 2.31 earned-run average and 34 strikeouts across 23 1/3 innings in his abbreviated junior season this spring. He struggled with command last season when he issued 4.3 walks per nine innings and compiled a 3.83 ERA in 20 appearances (12 starts). Scouts, according to Baseball America, pegged Miller’s command as above average.
Eight of the Dodgers’ last 10 first-round picks have been college players. Miller is, however, the first college pitcher the Dodgers have chosen in the first round since 2016 when the organization selected Jordan Sheffield out of Vanderbilt.
In 2015, the club selected Walker Buehler from Vanderbilt and Kyle Funkhouser, also a Louisville product. Buehler has become one of baseball’s top young aces. Funkhouser didn’t sign.
The slot value for the 29th pick is $2,424,600. The Dodgers hold five more picks in the truncated five-round draft Thursday.
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